


How Gotham's Princess Fell

by NanaBeluzzi



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Baby!BatCat, F/M, Reverse!BatCat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2018-09-25 00:15:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9793958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NanaBeluzzi/pseuds/NanaBeluzzi
Summary: Life with money was truly beautiful, Selina Kyle had always thought. She was born into one of the most powerful and rich families of Gotham, and nothing had ever been refused to this pampered girl. On the other hand, Bruce Wayne was born into the streets of Gotham, being forced to steal in order to survive.When these two very different lives collide the very unexpected happens.





	1. Royalty

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1: Royalty
> 
> Fandom: Gotham
> 
> Pairing: Selina/Bruce
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the DC Comics characters portrayed in this fanfiction.

Life with money was truly beautiful, Selina Kyle had always thought. She was born into one of the most powerful and rich families of Gotham, and nothing had ever been refused to this pampered girl. With a flick of a finger, she could have anything or anyone in the world, and you can bet she used her status to its full potential.

Known throughout the city as the princess of Gotham Academy, she ruled the private school and everyone in it, including teachers and staff. Using her family name and money as a pass she could do whatever she wanted to whoever she wanted, and she had nothing good in mind.

Always followed by her group of preteen troublemakers, all sons and daughters of big crime bosses of Gotham, they liked to wreck havoc in the academy, picking on the weaker. Yes, life was great when you had money and power and, to a girl with plenty of both, life was nothing but fun and games. Or was it?

“Selina!” Her friend called out, bringing the girl’s thoughts back into the present. She had been slurping on an empty bottle of milkshake for a good five minutes now, completely lost in the boredom of another Wednesday. Or was it Thursday? She didn’t know how it happened but the days had all fused and turned into an endless cycle. “What do you want to do today?” Bridgit asked.

Selina turned to gaze at her friend, noticing how she was wearing her long brown hair in a braid today and how conveniently she had “forgotten” her jumper at home so she wore only her white button-up and dark blue skirt much like Selina’s. Wearing a uniform was a pain, you looked too much like everyone else but the young princess wasn’t like anyone else, and she made sure everyone around her knew it.

“Let’s just go into town or something, this school has given all it had to offer.” She mumbled rocking her chair dangerously, letting her head drop backwards as she stared at the ceiling.

\---

As they were leaving one of the top-end stores in Gotham City, Selina let herself fall a little behind. Everyone was laughing or bragging happily with their new acquisitions, but the young girl just couldn’t feel that kind of excitement anymore, not when she had everything.

Suddenly she felt a slight weight shift from her backpack, making her turn immediately. She had always had great reflexes, and being a gymnast since a young age had only heightened it to the point that sometimes she looked like a cat more than a person. Confronting the figure that had approached her, she immediately grabbed their wrist and held it tightly. As she had suspected, this person tried to lift her wallet.

The commotion didn't go unnoticed by Selina's friends, that all turned to see what was happening, the guys coming immediately to tackle the dark figure to the floor. When the perpetrator lifted their head, Selina saw a very pale boy with wild brown hair, covering his brown eyes. She could sense no animosity from him - actually, she could feel nothing, staring into those eyes she could see only emptiness. Like she had guessed the boy was young, but the dark circles under his eyes and his cracked lips added much to his age.

“You piece of scum! Think you can get away with that?!” One of the guys shouted, kicking the boy, who curled up in a ball to absorb the impact. The other soon followed, kicking the boy that did not let out a sound or tried to make a move.

“Jason, enough!” Selina shouted over their laughter and the insults her friends were throwing at the boy.

Jason, a typical jock kind of guy, always ready to start a fight, stopped laughing and looked at her in confusion.

“Why? This piece of trash just tried to rob you! I'm just showing him what my family does with petty thieves!” Jason’s father was Falcone's right hand man, and the rest of his family also occupied different positions in “the business”. Despite her own family not having such connections, Selina always had the good sense of keeping some of the most powerful thugs in school in her right pocket.

“I can fight my own battles big guy, now scram.” She ordered without a drop of fear. Selina could perfectly see Jason's hesitation and anger, but she didn't flinch the slightest and he ended up walking ahead with the rest of the group, that returned to their normal conversations as if nothing had happened.

“As for you…” The princess said, turning to the boy on the floor, now starting to sit up. She stepped on his stomach, right where the guys had kicked him, making him gasp. “You’re just a piece of gutter trash, I don't even know what compelled you to come to these parts, but if I catch you here again, believe me, those guys are going to be the least of your problems.”

Letting him go she started to walk away, catching up with her friends.

\---

The day wasn't very eventful after that and, after class, the driver picked her up and took her back to the house.

“Mom? Dad?” She called loudly into the corridors of what couldn't be described as anything else but a mansion. “Figures…” Selina murmured to herself when she received nothing but silence in response.

Kicking off her uncomfortable shoes into a random corner she comforted herself by feeling the cold marble floor under her feet. She was starting to go up the stairs into her room, when a little furry black friend came down to greet her with a meow.

“Hi there sugar, come here!” The little princess picked up her black cat, sliding her fingers through its fur. She could be cold hearted to others, but her cats had always been a source of warmth and comfort to a girl that grew up with little of either.

Going up to her room she threw herself into bed, just plainly staring at the ceiling. After a few minutes someone knocked lightly on the door. Only when Selina didn't answer after three times did the knocking became louder and more urgent, followed by the thin voice of a child.

“Miss Kyle? Miss Kyle your bath is ready!” The girl say on the other side.

Selina turned on her side, letting her cat go. she didn't feel like getting up, but she also knew the girl wouldn't give up.

“Miss K-” Selina interrupted her by opening the door, staring at the little redhead, a good head shorter than her, with a messy braid Selina's mother kept complaining for her to fix. But there was no fixing genetic messiness. The girl, Ivy was her name, had been a charity case, daughter of one of her dad's favourite butlers. when he passed from disease and with no mother in sight her parents had let the girl stay and work to make a living. Of course the work she did was a sham, she couldn't cook or clean properly, and even carrying trays resulted in disaster with her, so she did mostly simple things like drawing baths and tending to the garden which she seemed to enjoy more than anything else.

“Yeah yeah, I'm going…” Selina dryly replied moving to the big bathroom at the end of the hall, letting her clothes along the way without any shame. That floor was mainly used by her and only Ivy walked around to call her, so it was as if it was her private flat.

Stepping into the big tub she let herself sink in the hot water, letting her frustrations and anger be washed away like dirt. Indulging in almost an hour of soothing body washes and playful soap bubbles she let herself forget about time, school, her entire life. She used to hate baths, actually water in general, and even though she still frowned at group outings to the pool or beach, in her own bathroom she felt safe and calm.

As the water was turning from tepid to cold she decided to finally get out, putting on a robe carefully placed by Ivy, most likely. She then retraced her steps to her room watching as her straightened hair began to curl as it dried. Frowning at it she took the hair straightener from a drawer and began straightening it once again like a ritual. She could simply ask Ivy to do it, but she feared the good-for-nothing girl would burn it off completely, and over the years Selina actually became quite good at it. 

Putting on a simple grey shirt and some striped pajama bottoms she laid back in bed scrolling through endless pages of social media. She didn’t even notice when the main door closed with a bang downstairs and loud voices were heard, assuming in the back of her mind one of her parents was home, shouting for one of the help.

After a few minutes of screaming voices back and forth though, she got up from bed to go listen more closely. Opening just a crack of the door she peeked outside, trying to listen to what they were saying. The voices arrived too faded though and she could barely make out any words, but there were definitely unknown voices in the midst.

Then the shots came.

With the shots came screams and loud curses. Selina went back inside, closing the door shut and holding the doorknob to keep her hands from trembling.

Selina couldn't remember for how long the shooting lasted, she had ended up curled up in a ball in a corner with her hands on her head, without the slightest clue of what to do.

If was a long while after the firing had ceased that she decided to stand up, curling her hands into fists as if to give her strength to move forward.

She opened the door and checked the corridor, finding it empty. Selina pondered if she should wait inside for help, but there was also a strong possibility that whoever showed up not being friendly, so she decided to take her chances through the corridor with her phone in hand. She had tried to call the police before but there was no signal which hinted her that this was no usual robbery.

The girl tiptoed to the stairs, peeking slightly before going down. They had a phone hidden in the kitchen, with luck the assailants had not spotted it and she could call the police then. Her mansion was far too isolated for the shots to be heard, so it could take a while until anyone decided to check up on their house.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs though, any thought of asking for help was pushed to the back of her mind. Two massive pools of blood stained the marble floor of the entranceway. Dragging marks could also be seen in the kitchen’s direction, which could bring no good news. 

The coppery smell of the red tint made its way to Selina's nose, making her gag. She took a hand to her mouth to stop herself from throwing up and started following it almost by instinct. She knew she should run, go far away from that place and call for someone, but a terrible feeling was brooding in her chest as she took one step after another to the kitchen.

And she was right.

Opening the door to the kitchen she saw two dark figures piled up on the floor. She rushed to turn on the flashlight on her phone to inspect closely, but she quickly regretted it when she met the cold, dead stare of her mother, her body riddled with bullet holes, and Selina's father right under her in the same fashion.

In shock Selina fell to her knees, dropping her phone into the ground. She opened her mouth to scream, but a hand quickly covered it, dragging her into the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya guys!  
> So I'm finally out with the first chapter of my new Gotham project! I'm so excited about this fic and I hope you guys like it as well! Keeping thing short I'd just like to thank shadychef for the motivation and inspiration to write this fic and a lot of thanks to my friend and amazing proofreader Ritta, for always putting up with my antics and critiquing my writing!


	2. A Cat's Luck

Selina tried to fight back the person that held her and was able to knock them back and quickly turn away from them. She felt the floor for her phone and, in a rushed panic, held it up to the person that had grabbed her, recognising them immediately.

“Ivy?” Selina whispered in disbelief, still in shock. Her head was starting to hurt from all the information she was receiving. Her parents were dead, and she might be next if the redhead had something to do with it.

“Shh…” The small girl gestured for Selina not to speak, motioning for her to follow and to turn off the light of her phone. The little princess stopped and pondered for a moment, should she really trust the redhead? As far as she knew it might be a trap but right now she didn't really have any other choice, staying in the house meant a whole lot of a different trouble for her.

Doing as Ivy indicated, the two girls set off through the kitchen's back door into the garden where the redhead spent most of her time. Once again shots came, probably the assailants had found the servants that occupied a room upstairs.

Selina curled her fists into two balls in rage, she had never felt so powerless, so vulnerable, she never had to cower in fear to anyone.

Ivy seemed unshaken by what was happening, but then again God knew what that girl had seen. After her dad died she ran away from her home, spending weeks in the slums, living out of nothing. When she came back she had a darker look in her eyes, a look of someone who had seen and felt too much.

The little redhead took a duffel bag from one of the cabinets with gardening supplies and threw it on the floor.

“What's this?” Selina asked raising an eyebrow.

“Emergency supplies.” Ivy simply stated opening the bag and checking the contents, shaking her head slightly as she ticked off the items of a list in her head. “We can't stay here Miss Kyle, we have to run now!”

Selina was going to retort but the light in the kitchen came on. The girls quickly hid under one of the tables in the garden, Ivy holding the duffel bag that was almost half her size, trying not to even breathe.

“I think that's everyone!” A deep masculine voice said, breathing heavily. The sound of something heavy being dropped could be heard and Selina's stomach turned just imagining what it could be, or who.

“For the servants yeah, don't forget the Kyle's have a little brat, she must be hiding out somewhere!” Another voice said, one dangerously close to the garden door.

“Did you check her room?” The first man asked, his heavy steps echoing in the marble, as if they did not care about being heard anymore.

“Yeah, nowhere to be found I found her pet cat though, hiding under the bed.” The second man retorted and Selina's blood went cold thinking about Sugar. “Wasn't it a cat's paw that gave luck?” The man continued, letting out a twisted smile. Through the glass door Selina could see him waving something small in the air.

That was it, in that moment something snapped inside her. She tried to get up, but Ivy held onto her, trying to hold her back, but to no avail, Selina knocked one of the vases, crashing into the ground.

“That's a rabbit's you dumb ass but apparently this little kitty brought us plenty of luck tonight.” The assailant responded and Selina heard them grabbing the guns once again.

The shadows grew bigger near the door and, as quick as she could, Ivy stood up with a small shiny object in her hand which Selina recognised as a pocket knife. What was she doing? Selina thought, the girl was going to get herself killed!

When the door opened and the first man came through Ivy immediately stabbed the knife into the guy's leg. He let out a loud scream, dropping the gun to hold his injured leg.

The other guy rushed past him, pointing his gun at Ivy.

“You little bitch!” He screamed, but Ivy didn't just stood there to take the blow. She dashed out into the middle of the plants, pretty much disappearing in their midst. Selina knew this was the best time to run. The second guy had already recovered, throwing the bloody knife on the floor and following them. She grabbed the duffel bag and started to run for the door.

As she tried to leave she heard shots being fired once again and Selina immediately froze. Was Ivy also dead? The girl could've ran at any time but she chose to stay and help her, even when Selina had done nothing but insult her.

Against all her instincts she turned back and went deeper into the garden as well. She found one of the guns on the ground, which was a pretty good indicative she was on the right path. Between some vases she was able to see the redhead, she seemed okay which was a great relief. Pushing through to where she was, the princess saw both men laying on the floor, seemingly unconscious and she then looked at Ivy in complete disbelief.

“Don't worry, they are not dead,” The redhead responded to Selina's silent question nonchalantly. “They are just sleeping, I used the plants here to make a sleeping spray.” She proudly stated holding up a bottle. That might've been even more amazing than if she had killed them.

Now, with the danger subdued, Selina started to feel the weight of her loss. Filled with rage she turned to one of the men, kicking him repeatedly with all her might.

“Miss Kyle don't-” Ivy said but the man Selina was kicking woke up, grabbing her ankle and pulling, making her fall to the floor. She let out a small gasp of pain with the impact and tried to crawl away immediately, but to no avail.

“Quickly! Spray him again!” She screamed to Ivy, trying to kick the man while he was still in a daze.

“The spray is a one off! It won't work again in such a short period of time!” Ivy retorted looking at loss of what to do.

Selina was getting desperate, looking around for something she could use. She grabbed one of the vases and bashed it onto his head, making the man fall unconscious once again.

Breathing heavily, Selina took her foot from his grasp and tried to stand up, feeling a sharp pain in her ankle. Trying not to let it show she grabbed the bag once again, moving away from the man.

“We better go…” She stated, but with no real idea of where to go, or what to do at all. “We should head to the nearest police station, tell them what happened and…”

“No! The police will be of no help with this matter…” Ivy crouched near one of the unconscious men, taking a police badge from his belt. “C’mon, I have a place where we can hide out for a while until we figure out what's going on!”

The girl passed past Selina and started heading out of the garden. All this new information was just making Selina's headache worse. Why would the police come and kill her parents and servants? What the hell was going on with her life? Too tired to think about anything at all she just followed the little redhead out of the house, hugging the duffel bag closer to her when the harsh cold winds of Gotham reminding her she was nowhere near dressed enough for that weather, she didn't even have shoes on.

“In the duffel bag there’s a pair of boots and a jacket, better put them on before you get sick Miss.” Ivy informed and Selina quickly opened the bag, locating the items and putting them on. The boots were way too tight, making walking even more painful, and the jacket was too stretched, really testing the durability of the seams but it was all she could do to resist the cold wind.

\---

Hours seemed to go by until they reached the city. Each step became more and more painful to Selina as this dizziness clung to her head, refusing to go away. At some point Ivy held her hand to guide her, especially in the busiest streets, where no one even spared a glance to the two girls.

They had to stop and turn around many times to avoid the most dangerous routes in the slums, and only when the sun started peaking in the horizon did Ivy make a full stop in front of what Selina recognised as an old abandoned theatre.

“Here we'll be safe…” Ivy told her, but her voice seemed distant somehow. Both girls went inside finding a completely deserted place, all dusty and worn out. Most chairs were broken or ripped, others just plain dirty and disgusting. The big curtain on the stage was all ripped to shreds, some spread across the old wooden stage that looked like it was going to collapse with the smallest pressure.

Of course Ivy would climb it. Under the ripped shreds of curtain she found a door, raising it with some difficulty.

“Can't we just stay here? Seems safe enough with all these chairs!” Selina asked crossing her arms, refusing to move.

“No can do Miss, a lot of junkies take shelter here at night, if one of them were to rat on us, or if the police decided to do a raid… It's best if we're down here!” Ivy explained and Selina couldn't really refute. The image of the two policemen chasing her was still too vivid in her mind.

Both got through the passage in the old wooden stage and found themselves once again in the darkness which left a sense of unease in Selina's stomach.

Fortunately Ivy had also brought a flashlight which illuminated the place a little. That seemed to be an old storage room filled with mannequins and stage props. Selina walked around a little, analysing the cramped place but her dizziness was getting worse to the point she didn't even notice one of the boxes in the floor. She tripped and fell once again, her body giving up consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's another chapter, finally!! I know it's a short chapter, the next ones will be longer, I just wanted to make a full stop where I did so that I wouldn't be inputting too much information at once. I was also having trouble with the fighting scene, as I'm not very experienced in writing them, I hope it's half decent -.-'  
> I know this is a baby!batcat fanfiction and don't worry Bruce will appear soon enough, I want to take this story slow and steady and build grounded characters, as I usually tend to rush into this...  
> Well I won't bother you anymore, once again I'd like to thank my wonderful proofreader and editor Ritta, she's amazing and talking to her and exchanging ideas is really what helps me make this story so great!  
> See you next time!


	3. But Nothing Was Easy Anymore

_“Selina? Selina, honey wake up…” A gentle voice called out. Sitting up Selina saw her mother at the edge of her bed with a large smile. Her golden curls, lighter than the girl's, shone with the sunlight that came from the window._

_It was blinding._

_“Mom? Why are you here? I thought you were out of town…” Selina asked with the raspy voice of someone who just woke up._

_Rubbing her eyes she frowned in confusion, something didn't seem right, but before she could pinpoint what it was, someone knocked on the door._

_“Oh that must be your dad! Come in dear!” Selina's mom screamed and the door opened, revealing her dad, holding Sugar in one arm._

_“How are my two girls?” He said, letting Sugar go on the bed. The cat immediately came to Selina, snuggling on her lap._

_“Dad? You’re home as well?” The girl asked, now fully awake. There was just something wrong with this picture, but she couldn’t tell exactly what it was._

_“Yes, I returned just a while ago and thought we should go out for breakfast! What do you think?” He asked sitting by Selina’s mother, putting an arm around her waist. Their eyes as they looked at each other… They were so tender and full of love, like a young couple in their honeymoon phase._

_Yes, something was definitely wrong._

_“Oh yes! It’s such a beautiful day outside!” They continued, but their words were coming to Selina’s ears as if she was underwater. Her mind was trying to remember something, but all she could picture was red, cold and sadness._

_Looking up at them she felt warm though, comfortable; maybe she didn’t have to remember?  
But as much as she didn’t want to, her mind kept doing it. Since when did her parents handled being in the same room together? Exchanging pet names on top of that! This wasn’t real… Reality could never be so perfect, her life would never be like this._

_Selina couldn’t have it. She didn't want to have a taste of happiness, of comfort and warmth just to have everything ripped away when she woke up._

_While lost in her thoughts she didn’t even notice her parents had stopped talking. When she looked at them again they were both staring at her with blank faces. She pulled at her covers trying to hide, but Sugar that until now had been resting in her lap hissed, scratching her. Not only that but her fur was all messed up, and her right paw was missing._

_A cold shiver went up Selina’s spine. She tried to leave through the opposite side from where her parents sat, but she didn’t go very far. They stood in front of the door now, their clothes bloody and ripped with dozens of tiny bullet holes. She tried to retreat but she slipped on a pool of blood on the floor, splashing herself with it._

_There was a putrid dead smell in the room now, mixed with the coppery blood smell that was stuck in her nose. And there was no running away now either, she had to wake up, she had to get away. They stepped further in her direction and she tried to crawl away, her eyes getting cloudy with tears._

_“No. No, get back!” Selina screamed, but to no avail, she felt a hand grabbing her leg, pulling her back. “NO!”_

\---

Selina woke up suddenly, cold sweat covering her whole body. Whilst panting she pulled herself up to a sitting position, holding tight to her blankets.

“Just a dream…” She muttered, her head hanging low as the remnants of drowsiness left her.

There was barely any light in the room. She found Ivy against the wall sleeping soundly and, like a wave, the memories of that night hit her strong, which made her chest hurt and her breathing become more and more out of control.

Days had passed since they had run from Selina's own home, no doubt her parents had been found by now and the news of her disappearance had spread across the city. Was someone actually looking for her? The cops were for sure, if to do nothing more than kill her at least. Why had they so coldly murdered her parents? Even Sugar… 

Selina turned in bed, hiding completely beneath the covers. She couldn't afford to be sad, to be weak. Now more than ever she had to prove her fearless reputation wasn't in vain and she had to rise above this, she couldn't allow some underpaid thugs to drive her from her home, her legacy.

Her stomach rumbled for the thousandth time today, throwing all her determination to the ground. When had been the last time she had eaten? All the food Ivy had packed was gone, in part because of how insistent Selina had been on having her two meals a day. Well it had been a stupid move because now she had none and it was too dangerous to go outside.

Cops were on constant lookout in the slums which meant they were on constant lookout for her, and without knowing who she could trust it was way too risky.

But this was hell, besides having no food Selina hadn't showered in days and the room they were cramped in was mouldy and dusty to the point Selina's throat constantly hurt.

“Miss?” Ivy called, finally getting the little princess out from under the covers. The two spent most of their days in silence, they never had anything in common in the first place, and Selina sensed the little redhead wanted to give her space to mourn and, in a small corner of her mind, the girl was grateful for that.

“Yeah?” She mumbled in a very unladylike manner, sitting up in bed. Her whole body hurt, this time for laying down too much. Another thing to hate in this hell, she was used to always be moving, especially because she was a former gymnast. Staying still would be the death of her.

“I'm going out for food. you may be recognised, but I'm sure the police have no record on me, besides I know these streets well, I'll be able to hide with ease!” Ivy explained with a small smile. The girl had taken advantage of the cloths in the basement and had hand sewed some basic clothing for both of them. In a normal day Selina wouldn’t be caught dead in them, but nothing was quite normal anymore.

Before the princess could protest her stomach rumbled again, making her rethink her answer.

“Very well, try not to take long. I'm starving!” It was all she could get out but deep inside she worried the girl wouldn't come back. She was at a complete loss of what to do, if not for Ivy she would have probably been dead by now.

“I won't…” The girl smiled, making her way out of the basement and leaving Selina alone for the first time in days.

The minutes seemed harder to pass after that, it was as if every second was an hour and with nothing to do but look at the walls, her future seemed grim.

To make it even worse the little lantern that dimly illuminated the place ran out of batteries not even five minutes into her new found alone time.

Tired of just laying around Selina got up and, feeling up the room she had memorised on her extenuating stay, she went to the stairs leading onto the stage. When she finally opened the door she felt free and renewed. 

All the windows in the theatre were broken and badly boarded, so there was plenty of sunlight to bathe on. With this new motivation she walked around, although slowly since her feet were still healing and with nothing to put on but undersized shoes, she had to walk carefully not to catch any nasty diseases. Still that would be preferable than spending the rest of her days in the hospital.

Something rang in her pocket, making her jump. She had completely forgotten her phone! In the first couple of days she had tried to find reception, but that was impossible in that narrow basement, but now she was receiving all her messages and missed calls. Some were from the police, as predicted they must be searching for her, but the majority of the calls were actually from Bridgit as well as some very dramatic messages asking if Selina was alive.

Without a second thought Selina called back, yearning to hear a familiar voice besides Ivy's. After only two rings the other girl immediately picked up.

“Selina! Oh my God are you okay?” The girl on the other end asked, and Selina just let out a deep breath, being thrown back to all the days of boring normality where she just hung around with her group. It all seemed so distant now, even though it hadn't even passed a full week .

“Yes! Bridgit it's so good to hear your voice!” She said relieved, letting her body fall on one of the theatre chairs.

“Where have you been? Everything's been a mess with what happened to your parents and your disappearance… We were all worried!” 

“I've been hiding out on this old cinema. Listen up Bridgit, the people that killed my parents are after me… They are VERY bad people and with deep connections, I didn't know who to trust!” Selina fired, unwinding all the words she had repressed for so long.

“Why didn't you go to police? The detective handling your case is very nice I'm sure he'll hear you out and find the people responsible…”

“I can't! Bridgit, you don't understand I can't trust-” The gears in Selina's head started to make the connection, making her pause mid-speech. “Wait, how do you know the detective leading the case?”

“Oh he came over to my house the day after your parents were found! He was really nice and said he's trying to find you and help you get justice for them! He's probably on his way over now!” Bridgit calmly said, and Selina couldn't help but curse herself for her own stupidity.

“Coming over?” Was all she could ask, getting up immediately and moving to the basement.

“Yeah, he tapped my phone just in case you called so he could find you and keep you safe-”

Selina hung up the phone immediately, throwing it to the wall. 

Fuck. 

The police was coming here to kill her and Ivy was still out, what could she do?

Fuck.

She couldn't think properly with the hunger, so she just followed her gut. Going downstairs she felt for the hooded jacket Ivy had sewed her and for the pair of shoes, clumsily putting them on as she dashed out. Trying to cover herself as much as she could, she mixed in with the crowd, running in some unknown direction. She saw the police cars pass her by, only sighing in relief once they were out of sight.

She only hoped Ivy wouldn't be caught instead of her, the girl had nothing to do with Selina, after all that had happened it would be unfair for her to end up dead in her stead.

\---

Walking through town Selina ended up under a bridge, not quite sure of what to do now. Her hiding spot was blown and she had no idea where Ivy was. Going to Bridgit or one of her other friends was way too risky, she had to lay low.

But where?

All her life she had everything, a house, food, clean water, high-end clothes. Now she had nothing and no one, and she didn't have a clue what to do from now on.

She approached a group of kids her age, all grouped around a huge bin on fire. The warmth was definitely welcoming, but their glances were not.

She felt judged, as if every inch of her was being analysed. Even with the wounds in her feet Selina still looked too clean for that place. She still had her brand pajamas under the makeshift coat, and her hair was still holding most of its straightness, which made her stick out like a sore thumb in their midst.

Not feeling like being threatened she held her head up high as she approached the fire to get warm, she could handle stares and insults if it meant not freezing to death.

But she should've known, these kids weren't like the high society brats that looked down on you, these kids weren't afraid to get their hands dirty. One of them, a small boy, probably a couple of years younger than her, pushed her away from the fire then, into the wet concrete floor.

“Are you lost kitten? This is our turf! Don't come around all cocky, pretending to be one of us!” The kid screamed and the others laughed, not out of joy but an empty laugh, matching their empty eyes.

“Last time I checked this is a public place, I can stand around wherever I want!” Selina protested getting back up. She had to show them she wasn't just some suburb Barbie trying to make fun of them. Or so she thought.

All the kids just smirked, making goosebumps appear on Selina's arms, but she didn't show it, she just cleaned the little pebbles embedded in her hands, feeling some drawing blood, but she forced herself to push the fear and pain to the back of her mind.

“Oh yeah… This little house cat has a tongue…” They proceeded to get closer to her. The boy threw the first punch, but she managed to evade it. Thank God for the years in gymnastics. Another one of the kids tried to swing at her but again she turned to the side. Even then she wasn't stupid, she was now completely outnumbered, she needed to run.

Making a split second decision, she tried to break through the two smaller kids, hoping to tackle them down and escape.

But nothing was easy anymore.

Between the pain of her reopened wound, the hunger she felt and the doubt she had in herself, she hesitated for a split second, making it easier for the kids to catch on her plan and tackle her down.

“You really think you could escape?” The boy asked crouching next to her. “You still have to pay toll for your disrespect!”

Someone kicked her stomach, all air leaving her lungs as she spit saliva and bile on the floor, for the first time ever she was glad she hadn't eaten anything.

Still she couldn't stay down. She refused to be like the boy who couldn't get up, who just surrendered to her… evilness. She sat up, staring at the boys, only to receive a punch flight in the face, making her head jump backward. 

Yet she refused to scream, she refused to break. Selina sat up again, receiving another punch, this time ripping her lip. She recovered quicker this time, putting one foot to the ground to stand up, seeing everything double.

“Just stay down you bitch!” The boy screamed, now getting angry. He moved to kick her in the face, but one of the girls stopped him.

“Brad that's enough, if you kill her the cops will come sniffing around again and we'll have to move…” She said with a hand on his shoulder.

“Tsk… Don't show up here again!” He warned and the kids started moving away, regrouping in front of the fire.

It took several moments for Selina to realise she was safe, she was alive. With all the strength she had in her she got up, starting to move away from there.

She walked and walked, seeing nothing but a bloody blur in front of her. Her right eye was swollen and bleeding, clouding her vision.

At some point she fell in some street, against some wall, she wasn't sure. The smell around her was horrendous, or perhaps that was herself. She couldn't move anymore, her limbs were numb from the cold, she couldn't even make an effort to curl herself into a ball. 

Everything hurt, and she faced the fact she was probably going to die, either from the cold or from her wounds, whichever got to her first would be her undoing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So slightly bigger chapter this time!! I'm getting really excited about this story, about where is going, and I hope you are as well!!  
> Our baby Selina is really suffering right now, all alone in a big bad city... Maybe a prince will come to the rescue?  
> To all of those who are expecting BatCat I promise it'll come soon enough, but our baby still has a lot of soul searching to do till then!!  
> Once again thank you to my amazing proofreader and editor Ritta, without you I probably wouldn't even have the courage to post this story...  
> Well I don't wanna keep you here too long... See y'all next time!


	4. Strike Like a Ghost

Selina was slipping in and out of consciousness, between the horrible nightmares and the pain she felt all over her body, she wasn't sure which was worse.

Until something reached her, it was the smell of food, hamburgers, fries, all the unhealthy fast food she always condemned, but right now, nothing sounded more delicious.

She tried to move, but to no avail, it was like her body was glued to the icy floor. But Selina was no quitter. She forced herself to move, feeling a sharp pain in her back. He blurry vision could barely make out where she was, but she could see enough to recognize an alley, probably the back of any fast food joint. 

Right next to her was a big bin filled to the brim with trash, most of it smelled horrible, but in their midst there was fresh food, just thrown out at the end of the shift. Selina felt her mouth water at the sight of the greasy food, and could barely contain herself, grabbing the first piece she saw.

Not all was good and wonderful though, as she could see the rotten food underneath, filled with nasty creatures, ready to contaminate this God given gift, but her hunger overpowered her and anything in her path she gobbled down.

She ate until her stomach began to ache, not ready to the amount of food she devoured. She felt her strength replenish, if only a little, it gave her enough strength to hold her ground and walk once more. She needed to find a fire, something to warm herself up, there was also the question of her next meal, Selina had a feeling she wouldn’t last long if she continued to eat the probably expired food out of trash bins.

With her strength somewhat replenished she set off into the city. She was definitely in a better neighbourhood than before which left her a bit more at ease, this was HER territory, and the people around her the ones the knew she could read the best.

Although she was now invisible to them. More like they were extremely conscious of her, of her clothes and probably how she smelled, and because of that they tried to avoid her, probably thinking she would beg them for money.

But Selina Kyle was no beggar. She was still Gotham's princess and she would rather take than beg anyone for anything. She would take advantage of everyone's turned gazes, and she would strike like a ghost.

First she searched for a fitting prey, some clueless man with his wallet almost hanging out of his back pocket, or a woman with an unzipped bag, anyone would do. She had never stolen anyone, she never had to, but she had seen enough films to get the gist of it.

Soon enough she spotted a man leaving a formal clothes shop. All of him screamed power and elegance, and so did the full wallet he carelessly put in his jacket pocket. An accidental bump and she would have enough to eat for days, maybe even weeks of she was careful. And hopefully by then this nightmare would be over.

So Selina moved to strike, following the man through the crowd, seeing how it became thicker, it would make it even difficult for the man to spot her. She started to speed on her target when she felt someone behind her. 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you…” A voice crept near Selina’s ear, making her blood run cold. “See how his trousers hug his legs? He’s a runner, probably a good one, he’ll give you a chase.”

Selina jumped back, facing a painfully familiar face. It was the guy from days ago, the one that had tried to rob her. How ironic, she was now in the same situation as him, resorting to the same acts, being condemned in the same way she had condemned him.

He looked at the side lane and back at her indicating for her to go first. Still feeling her ribs hurt from the last time she went against a street kid, she thought the most prudent thing would be to do as they said. Once away from the crowd and any prying ears, the boy spoke again.

“You’re new around here aren’t you?” He asked, probing her with his eyes, which confused Selina, hadn’t he recognized her? It hadn’t been that long since their encounter and it had been nasty. Or perhaps she had changed so much in the past couple of weeks, she was rendered unrecognizable.

“Why do you ask?” She retorted, not really giving a proper answered, which didn’t go by unnoticed.

“Because if you weren’t you’d know better than strike in my turf.” His face remained carved in stone, not giving away any emotion, but Selina could distinguish a certain edge to his voice now, something like impatience. Everything about his stern stance added years to his real age, but the girl didn’t let herself be intimidated, she had resigned to the fact that in this world she was now a part of, letting any emotions show would get you killed.

“If you're asking me for an apology you better sit down because it ain't coming.” She retorted crossing her arms defensively. Selina wasn't going to cave and bend down at his feet because of some stupid hierarchy some kids made up in the shadows, she didn't belong here and she wasn't about to follow their rules to “make friends”.

Minutes went by filled only with the sounds of the main street, the boy still seemed to analyse Selina, maybe looking for straws he could grasp at. Whatever it was it was starting to freak her out.

“Listen kid, if you're not going to say anything I'm just gonna go…” She started, being interrupted mid-sentence.

“Do you have anywhere to stay tonight?” He asked nonchalantly as if he was a friend asking where she bought her shirt.

“I don't believe that's any of your business.” She deadpanned, this kid only got weirder.

“There's a shelter me and some other kids discovered, it's nearby, if you want to spend the night a little warmer might be something that worth checking out.”

“Sorry but can't.” Selina answered.

“Why not?” The boy asked genuinely confused.

“Better ask, who would fall into something that is so obviously a trap?”

“Why would I set up a trap for you?”

“I don't know, maybe so that you can beat me to death for trying to strike in your turf, or maybe to try and sell me to some pervert for a meal or whatever…”

“Look it's up to you if you believe me or not… I was only trying to help, I've been in your place, maybe slightly different backstory but I have. If you want to be suspicious of everyone around you that's fine, but my advice is, be smart, because the difference between life and death might be realising when someone genuinely wants to help.”

“Where's that shelter?”

\---

When Selina heard about the shelter she wasn’t exactly expecting five star hotel resort, but what she found definitely surprised her.

The building was as run down as the theatre she had spent the night with Ivy. most of the windows were broken and boarded with wooden plaques, or covered with stained curtains. The inside wasn’t much better, apparently the kids in there had all communed in the middle of the first floor, creating makeshift walls out of cardboard or old furniture, but the lack of hygiene and privacy was absolutely appalling.

“I guess this wasn’t exactly government approved…” She whispered to the boy that walked further down the hall, there were some rooms where old offices had been, they were also occupied by more kids, Selina would’ve never guessed there were so many children living like this.

“Not particularly… The younger kids stay here in the communal area, whilst the older ones have their own rooms. Everyone is in charge of getting their own food but they usually group themselves to get it more easily and then share.” He continued to explained, stopping at times to greet some of the residents. 

Everyone seemed to like him, or at least respect him. Even kids that were clearly taller and buffer than him seemed to sort of bow to his presence, the hierarchy here was clear as day.

“Hey Bat!” A small child greeted whilst running, he couldn’t be more than seven years old, that realisation tighten Selina’s chest, even if only for a moment.

“Bat?” Selina asked with a grin at the funny nickname, but the boy didn’t show any reaction.

“Yes. It’s what everyone calls me around here.” Selina waited for him to explain further, but he never did, so she just dropped the subject, despite her curiosity peaking. Showing interest in others was something she didn’t do and wasn’t prepared to really start now.

They went up another flight of stairs and this floor was mainly ruble, all the floors above had collapsed or degraded so it seemed. Bat walked through the rubble to the furthest room, the only one that seemed to survive. As they stepped inside Selina saw what seemed to be an entire house confined in that place. 

There was a mattress up against the wall with some blankets, pillows and an old duvet on top, near the wall there seemed to be a duffel bag with clothes spilling out, and there were some cans, both empty and still closed near the window. Selina eyed the food for a long while whilst Bat threw himself on the bed, looking straight at her.

“Now, will you tell me who you’re running from?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So sorry for the delay, university got in the way and I wanted to make sure I'd deliver a quality chapter instead of just stuffing some random words on a screen. Hopefully the updates will come regularly now so that's something to look for!
> 
> See you next time ^^


	5. Bat

*Bat’s POV*

“Now, will you tell me who you’re running from?” Bat asked with his usual calm. The girl in front of him froze, panic spreading across her features, even if she was trying to hide it. After so many years on the streets Bat had gotten quite good at reading people.

“Is that a requirement to stay here or something?” Bat frowned in his mind, he hated when someone answered his questions with another question, people usually thought that was a smart trick, but all they did was annoy him.

“No, but I would like a heads up if the mob is going to come in here with guns blazing or something along those lines… These kids trust me to keep things on the low.” He added laying back against the wall, watching her every action. The girl bit her lip, deep in thought, and then moved to the boarded window, a classic defensive move, even if the exit was blocked.

“It’s not the mob, it’s the police… They are searching for me, possibly to kill me.” Bat rose an eyebrow at her answer, but the girl didn’t even notice, fidgeting and looking around the closed space, when she finally returned his gaze he had already regained composure.

“So I guess they are also responsible for what happened to your family?” The boy asked, receiving a completely shocked faced from the girl across from him. Without letting her answer he grabbed a newspaper from his bag, throwing it to the floor in front of her. “I’m not stupid, I recognised you as soon as I saw you… Difficult to forget a face when days after it was plastered on all newspapers across Gotham.”

“So you knew? You remembered all this time and you still brought me here and offered me shelter, why?” The girl asked even more confused than before.

“A lot of people here have done horrible things, some by necessity, others just because they could… Independently if I like those choices or not I don’t refuse shelter to anyone. This is a place for everyone, because no matter what happened before, if you ended up here you must have your reasons. Isn’t that right Selina?” Bat indicated the bold headline on the newspapers, announcing Selina’s parents’ death.

“Honestly I don’t know if you’re kind hearted or just stupid.” Selina sneered without taking her eyes from the newspaper, but Bat could see the shine in her eyes as she tried desperately to hold back tears, she needed to be strong, it was in her nature, and Bat could respect that.

“Anyways you’re free to stay or to leave, but you’re responsible for your own food and stuff you leave around. We have a rule to not steal amongst each other, but still some kids like to get too handsy, especially with new or younger kids.” Bat explains with a slight frown, this was a problem he had been trying to solve for a long time now, but he still wasn't closer to a solution.

“Charming.” Selina retorts sarcastically.

“Also I’d suggest you start hunting if you plan on surviving winter, I’m amazed you got this far with only a couple of layers of clothing, I can show you some unclaimed hunting grounds you can use...”

“Hunting?” Selina interrupted, the thought of nice roasted game her father hunted invading her thoughts and making her mouth water. “You mean stealing… Like you tried to steal from me.” She blurted out, immediately regretting it seeing the sharp look he shot her.

“Don’t act offended like you needed that money for something other than wastin’ it on useless stuff. We all do what we need to survive, from the extent of your injuries I’m sure you’ve kind of gotten the point by now, don’t pretend you’re above us, we’re all the same and if you wanna survive here then you’ll need to do so yourself, no one will lift a finger for you.” 

The little princess stayed silent at that staring at the floor, Bat moved to the window, staring at the sky through the cracks in the wood. She's gravely mistaken if she thinks I'm gonna coddle her just because I know who she is… Bat thought, but other thoughts betrayed him, I never refused to help any kid, but she better start getting used to standing on her own two feet. He glanced at her, seeing a slight tremble as she repositioned herself, crossing her legs, to avoid making any sound Selina bit her lip still her movements betrayed her as she tightened her grip around the small leather shoes.

“I'm going out for a couple of hours, stay in here, I'll show you to your spot once I get back.” Bat announced taking a small flip phone from his pocket and typing something quickly, pocketing it again and leaving, hearing a soft 'kay from Selina.

\---

Making his way through town Bat finally reached his destination, a small pub in the edge of the Narrows, a sort of bridge between lowlifes and thieves and the upper town people, not that any of them would be caught here unless they were into some shady business. Walking in the small bell rang, announcing his presence to the bartender, the only person in the establishment right now given the sun hadn’t yet set.

“Nice to see you Bruce, it’s been a while.” A man with a thick british accent said, stepping from behind the bar. He was a couple of heads taller than Bat, appearing to be in his fifties, with short grey hair and a clean shaved face.

“I go by Bat now.” The man raised an eyebrow, a small smile sprouting at the corner of his lips in amusement.

“Bat? How in the bloody hell did you come up with that?” He asked going back behind the bar, continuing to clean the glasses, Bat sat on one of the wooden benches facing the older man, sighing.

“The kids at the shelter came up with it, still have no idea how but I just let them go on with it, it’s safer for me as well, if fewer people know my real name.” Bat started picking on the peanuts usually served to customers with their drinks, the man stared him down but said nothing as he did his job.

“You’re not exactly wanted by the police you know? You may have become a little paranoid after all this time.” Bat scuffed in disagreement, shoving a handful of peanuts in his mouth, this was the only place he could really let his guard down, even if just by a little. “You’re not that kids’ parent, ought to do you some good to remember that.”

“Do you have the stuff I asked you about?” Bat asked, trying to divert the subject, but the older man just glared him down until he gave up on his indifferent stance. “I know, believe me I do. I just want to provide a safe place for them, a place that for a long time I didn’t have.”

The man stayed still for some seconds after with a slight frown, but he ended up giving in, sighing as he took a box from under the bar. “I was a bit surprised to receive a text from you on such short notice, asking for an additional item…” He stopped holding the box with a tight grip, before fully letting go, letting Bat take it. “You’re not some old man like me, you’re still a boy and you’re still in time to have a good life if you’d let me help you out more.”

“You already do plenty.” Bat said with a caring tone. “Sorry for the short notice and thank you so much like always Alfred, see you later!” He continued leaving the pub, hearing Alfred sighing again before the door closed.

\---

“Take off your shoes.” Bat said as soon as he entered his room, Selina was sitting on the floor, back against his bed, still reading the newspaper he had given her earlier. Despite her initial distrust she seemed to at least have gotten somewhat comfortable in the room.

“What?” She asked confused, he could see her body stiffen as soon as he talked, she was probably so focused on her reading she didn’t notice his presence at all. “Why?”

“Your feet hurt, don’t they?” He asked putting the box on his bed, rummaging through it’s contents. She shifted a bit to the side, crossing her legs, her fingers slightly touching the leather. “The seams seem strained and you’re limping more and more when you walk, my guess is that those shoes are a couple of sizes smaller than you should be wearing.”

“Real observant aren’t you?” She asked rhetorically, taking her shoes off and kicking them into the opposite corner of the room. She wasn’t even wearing socks, her feet had horrible cuts, some fresh others with already infected scabs, Bat could also see burn marks where the leather had pressed repeatedly for long periods of time.

“Comes with living here I guess… Here, use this.” Bat threw the little princess a first aid kit with an assortment of disinfectant and bandages. Selina quickly went through it, expertly bandaging her feet. He could guess from the old calluses and scarring on her feet she used to do some kind of sport, or maybe dancing. “And then you can put these on.” He took a pair of black sneakers from the box, placing them on her side.

“Where did you find all this? Been stealing?” She asked furrowing her brows at him. “Thought you said no one was gonna lift a finger for me here.”

“I haven’t stolen anything, and if you walked around like that it wouldn’t be long until you dropped dead from infection and then it would be a lot more troublesome to dispose of you.” Bat explained, showing a hint of a knowing smile, which seemed to get Selina riled up.

“Makes sense.” She answered in a low tone which he couldn’t decipher if it was mocking or not. They sat in silence whilst Selina finished bandaging herself up, taking advantage of the opportunity to discreetly put cream on some bruises and cuts on her torso, which Bat respectfully pretended not to notice and not ask questions, it seemed like he had already questioned her enough for the day and for the looks of it, she wasn't going anywhere soon.

\---

“Here you are, your own corner of the world.” Bat said showing Selina her quarters for the night, possible for the next few weeks as well. The girl raised a brow not only at the conditions of the place but also the slight note of sarcasm in his voice.

“Yeah… Thanks.” She said looking at the bare square of cement she would now call home. Bat dropped some covers on the floor by her feet, putting his hands back in his pockets.

“Here, I’ll lend you these for the night but you have to find some from tomorrow on, light’s out is at 12, so no noises after then and it goes pretty much until sun up, but we don’t really have a curfew so make up your own schedule and just try not to bother the others.” He explains like reciting a manual, looking all around the perimeter, quite a few pair of eyes were glued on the newcomer.

“Understood chief!” She answered back, mocking a serious tone, Bat frowned but didn’t comment, sticking to his job. 

“Any questions?” Bat asked.

“Not really, if I think of anything I’ll hit you up!” She arranged the covers on the floor and sat on one with the other covering her crossed legs.

“Okay then, tomorrow I’ll show you around the narrows then, rest for now.” Without waiting for a response he left, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He couldn't shake this deep gut feeling that she was going to find trouble for him, but he was never one to give up or step down from a challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow so it's been so long since I've posted... But I have missed this story so much I just knew that I had to get back at it full force it's my baby honestly and I'm so proud of it, even if it's only a fanfiction... Well anyways I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya guys!  
> So I'm finally out with the first chapter of my new Gotham project! I'm so excited about this fic and I hope you guys like it as well! Keeping thing short I'd just like to thank shadychef for the motivation and inspiration to write this fic and a lot of thanks to my friend and amazing proofreader Ritta, for always putting up with my antics and critiquing my writing!


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